RV for the dogs story. Lets hear yours

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

skydivemark

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Posts
478
Location
North East Tennessee
Several years ago, when the neighbor kids grew up and went to college, got married or whatever, is when we got our first RV. We don't like the idea of boarding our dogs. So we decided on a motorhome. Lucky for us, at the time it was a true buyers market. After looking for several days we found one we liked, a Jayco 27ft C class, 1999, no slides. I talked them down to nearly half the asking price (from 20k to 12k - basically i offered 12 and stuck to it) and drove it home the next day. We loved it but with 2 great danes and a black lab it was a tad crowded but we made due for 6 years.
A year and a half ago we decided it's time to upgrade since the jayco now has 140k miles on it and 17 years old. We got nearly 9k for it the same day i listed it (3k to own for 6 years ain't bad - i wish I could do that every time). That 9k was a nice down payment but now we have payments for many more years but so far we really like the Thor 31L and so do the dogs.
We started RVing because of our dogs and glad we did.
Just our little story, what's yours?
 
You asked, so I'll tell you yesterdays "dog story"

We own our RV lot and I have spent a lot of time, labor and money land scaping it.
Here in the park, there is a leash law and most people obey it since it is the hand out of the rules and there are signs.  Also there is a dog walk.
A few days ago, a renter pulled in across the street and just lets his dog run free.

Yesterday his dog was coming onto our property and he was sitting out in a chair in plain site of it, so I called to him and pointed to the dog. He did absolutely nothing, so I walked half way across the road  to where he could hear me and in a very polite voice said that "There is a leash law here".
As I walked back he yelled that I was an "A--hole!

That is my story. Maybe tomorrow, I'll reply with all the nice friendly dogs on leashes that come by that the responsible owners let us pet.

Jack L
 
We normally do not take our dog camping. She is old and set in her ways and really does not enjoy camping all that much. We did have her on a trip we took to Texas. We drove from Delaware to Texas to attend a friend's wedding. We took our TT so we didn't have to stay in hotels and we parked in our friend's driveway and stayed in it while there. On the way home we stopped somewhere, don't remember where, and got some lunch. Fried chicken, of which there was some leftover. Of course our dog, who has sensitive stomach, got into to it and ate it bones and all. Later that day we pulled into a state park in Maryland to spend the night. I didn't get any sleep that night since our dog had the runs all night and kept me up wanting to go out every 30 minutes or so. The wife didn't get any sleep either since I had to crawl over her every time I had to take the dog out. Lessons learned: if you can't eat all your chicken make sure it is out of reach of the dog; if the dog does get into the leftovers be sure to change sleeping positions with the wife; do not take dog camping.
 
Back in 2016 we were returning from a trip to New Orleans to bury the ashes of my mother-in-law.  We (including her own daughter) never got along with the old lady but took care of her for the last 10 years of her life. My last view of her before she died was her sticking her tongue out at me.  Fast forward.  Stopped in Memphis at a Cracker Barrel.  Had our 16 year old dog - Shih Tzu - and two cats in the coach.  Noticed a small drip near the area of the tranny filter so decided to find a place with a mechanic that could check it out.  Pulled onto interstate in Memphis and immediately the wife is screaming that the dog is having a seizure in her arms.  4 lanes of rush hour traffic and I am trying to find a pull over area which took about two miles.  By then she was still crying but we determined that the dog had not died but was breathing very shallow.  So I just forgot the tiny tranny filter leak and decided to push on for home and our vet.  That was over 300 miles away but the dog appeared to be resting comfortably in the wife's arms.  About 100 miles further remembered the tranny filter thing and decided to stop at an RV dealer we happened to pass and see if they could help.  Nice outfit in Jonesboro, Arkansas and even pulled the coach into the shop and pulled out a big fan for us to sit by because it was their lunch time. Dog still resting comfortably.  They informed me that I needed to get to an Allison tranny dealer ASAP - there was one in Memphis from whence we came and one in Springfield, Mo where we were headed.  Decided to push on to Springfield but took along several extra quarts of tranny fluid that I added about 75 miles down the road.  By now, the leak was easy to see and I hoped to keep enough fluid in the tranny to make it to the dealer and the vet.  Not to be - 50 miles short of home at a town that shares my last name the coach called it quits and we glided into a very old truck stop and called Coach Net.  Unhooked the toad and loaded the DW, cats and dog in it and sent them home with hopefully enough time to get to the Emergency Vet if needed. Wrecker showed up and towed me the last 50 miles.  Dog never made it to the vet because DW says she was wagging her tail and begging for food by the time they got home.  Cost of Vet - $0.  Cost of remanufactured tranny - $ 3500.  End of story.
 
My wife and I are new to RV'ing and just purchased our first MH, a 1998 Southwind Storm 32 foot Class A. I also received a service dog this last year as I am hearing impaired from Canine Companions for Independence. We take the dog everywhere with us as it alerts me to sounds I no longer hear and we will be traveling in the coming years to promote the use of service dogs and educate the public and businesses to the laws and rights of such. I hope to see you all on our travels.
 
wijames2002 said:
My wife and I are new to RV'ing and just purchased our first MH, a 1998 Southwind Storm 32 foot Class A. I also received a service dog this last year as I am hearing impaired from Canine Companions for Independence. We take the dog everywhere with us as it alerts me to sounds I no longer hear and we will be traveling in the coming years to promote the use of service dogs and educate the public and businesses to the laws and rights of such. I hope to see you all on our travels.

Seems like a very worthwhile venture.  Will you be coming to western Canada?
 
We had no choice.  When we traveled with one dog we stayed in motels.  When we got a second dog we were still able to find pet-friendly motels in most places we wanted to go.  Now that we have 3 dogs and a cat we had only 2 options: buy them a travel trailer or stay home all the time.  And of course we then needed a new truck with room for 4 crates and the ability to tow.  The creatures like the trailer -- which is a good thing, since we bought it for them!
 
Our Lulu loves to go camping, and we are lucky enough to have an RV garage attached to our car garage. Whenever we go out the door to the garage to go anywhere, Lulu heads for the trailer. She gets very disappointed when we direct her to the back of the SUV instead of the backseat of the truck to go camping.
 
My dogs love to go camping.  I prefer campgrounds with off leash dog parks adjacent or nearby as do the dogs.  Changes the way one does it.  At home; I can leave them for hours in the house.  They have everything, except me, that they need.  They bark but the neighbors have dogs too so all is well.  Only had complaint about one dog in 35 years. 

RV parks are different.  Unlikely that I know the neighbors and my Border Jazz barks like a mad fool if I leave her.  Dogs require a great deal more attention from me when camping.  I don't really mind that.  I find provincial campgrounds here in Alberta to be more spread out so noise from one site less likely to annoy at another.

I enjoy camping with my dogs.  They do too.  All is well.
 
newfurrows said:
Seems like a very worthwhile venture.  Will you be coming to western Canada?

Not sure if we will make it that far until we can get a little newer MH but would love to see Canada.
 
I have mentioned in previous posts that I bought my coach for my dogs. In 2015, we had a 9 year old Collie and a 12 year old Sheltie who had been given to a dog sitter for several vacations. Due to their advancing age, we became afraid we might go on vacation and one or both of the dogs would not survive our departure. We had done all the cruising we wanted and decided we wanted to see more of this great country, so we thought we could kill two birds with one stone and buy a coach big enough the dogs could travel with us. Aside from the Collie having a difficult time climbing the steps to get inside, the dogs did quite well.

We lost the Collie in April 2016 and the Sheltie in September 2017 due to age related issues. We got another rough Collie shortly after losing ours, from the same bloodline, and he now loves going on trips with us, getting excited when he hears the engine or generator running and thinking it's time to take off. Last year at the end of our last vacation in the Smoky Mountains, we took a side trip to Columbus, Ohio and adopted a smooth Collie rescue. Since he was in the coach more the first three weeks that we had him than in our house due to having to escape Hurricane Irma right after getting back from vacation with him, we were afraid he wouldn't know what was his home - the coach or the house. He now loves going on trips with us and the two of them share time laying on the doghouse while the other lays in back on the floor or on the couch.

We wouldn't think of going on another vacation without the dogs.
 
I retired in 2013. One of my colleagues gave me a "retirement" dog as I had wanted one but the Wife insisted I wait until retirement as I traveled overseas a lot for work.

Well.... we wanted to travel but finding a pet friendly hotel was a bit of a pain, and Our dog did not like being left in the room. I wanted to get back into camping  so we bought a MH. My Wife loves it as she has a few medical issues and traveling in the MH is much easier for her than a car. Our dog loves it also.

So that free dog has cost me $ 75,000 dollars thus far, what with the Motorhome, the fence around the yard and the  various doggie expenses!

Jump
 
I was apprehensive about taking Lulu, my new wife's toy poodle, on our first road trip because up to that point she got too excited in the vehicle. She always figured she was going to the beach to chase a ball. I need not have worried, she slept in my wife's arms until she needed to get out and do her business. We could not have asked for a better travel companion.
Unfortunately my current co-pilot, a Shih-Tzu cross, does not like riding in the truck and shakes while pressed up against me. I have to give her medication, maybe in time she will get over it. DW passed last summer so it's just the two of us now.
 
When we purchased our first rig, an Aliner, we did so not only because we wanted to travel, but we wanted to bring Kenji.  We did a lot of travelling with it in 2-years and had a lot of fun, but it was a challenge because the only floor space for Kenji was right in front of the cassette toilet and getting a 110 pound Akita to move for a 3:00 AM potty break got real old.  Because of that and because we were looking to bring another Akita into our pack, we purchased a 28' Northwood Snow River.  Many wonderful and memorable trips with it.  Now we are full timing in a 3-slide Eagle Cap 1165 truck camper with our 2-Akitas also love the thrill of travel, seeing and smelling new places.
 
"Unfortunately my current co-pilot, a Shih-Tzu cross, does not like riding in the truck and shakes while pressed up against me. "

Our dog used to do that. Vet said to buy an airline quality carrier. It is just  big enough for her to walk in, turn around and to sit up comfortably. Works like a Charm. When we are parked, I turn the driver's seat around and the carrier stores in the space below the steering wheel out of the way in the unused space. When she sees me get it back out and start putting things away for travel, she gets all nervous, whiny and clingy. I just open the door and tell her to go in her house. She then settles right down.

Funny story, my  mother didn't like the idea of the dog laying on the hard plastic, so she bought her a fluffy towel as a cushion. I folded it all nice the first time. Roxie took a half hour to scrunch it all up to use as a pillow and then her whole body is on the plastic!

 

Attachments

  • 16939010_169401013566197_3635061925541586938_n.jpg
    16939010_169401013566197_3635061925541586938_n.jpg
    68 KB · Views: 24
Since you asked so nicely, I am re posting mine from a few years back for your edification and others enjoyment. 8) 8)

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,76458.msg694017.html#msg694017
 
My dog came camping with us before we had our TT. So when we decided to take the jump and purchase a trailer, we took considerable time choosing the floor plan, she was a huge deciding factor. When you have a  large dog (120lbs) who loves going everywhere and doing everything with her people, you cant just leave her at a boarding place without feeling guilty.

Then about 1.5 years ago, our furry family grew by one. Now we have two large dogs in our small trailer. BUT with the large slide and murphy bed there is still floor room for both of them during the day. At night they still have room to stretch and lay out nicely.
 

Attachments

  • Pooches At Bronson.jpg
    Pooches At Bronson.jpg
    210.8 KB · Views: 24
Back
Top Bottom